Refrigerator counter



March 18, 1930. A MALUNG 1,751,285

REFRIGERATOR COUNTER Filed Feb. 15, l19128 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z l ZZ f j/ l j y2 1 2335 v 42 22 i790 Z/ /5 i /7 v /Z n w A. MALLING REFRIGERATOR COUNTER March 18, 1930f 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1928 Patent Mar. lgl@ I UNlTansrArEs PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR IEALLING, OF CLEVELAND; OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOHWENGER-KLEIN COH- i PANY, or cLEvEILAND, omo,` A CORPORATION or oHIo maremma COUNTER Application mea February 1s, 192s. serial No. 254,021.

l invention relates to 'refrigerator countersadapted for the display of such per-l ishable food studs as meats and the like and -has for its object the improvement in the structure of such a device which will eliminate certain diiculti such for instance as the danger; of breakage of the top of the counter. 0 A

It is also a purpose of .this invention to provide in connection with the refrigeratorcounter of thzisfharacter means for illumiv y nating the interior thereof without subjecting the interior tothe heat given oli' by the illuminating device.

- vA'further object of the invention is to provide a novel platter rack for holding the meat `platters within the refrigerator counter so as to avoid having the platters strike the front of the counter and to )aid -in providing the proper spacing for free circulation of air about the articles placed within the# counter.

It is .also an object of this invention to provide the cooling chamber with an enamelled. steel floor having-novel means for connecting the adjacent sheets of material used together. Other objects and advantages of the invention'will appear' as the description pro- 30 ceeds'w-hen taken in connection with the acoompanying drawings. However, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shownrand' f described, Lbut that I intend to avail myself of all such ymodifications as would occur to onev skilled in this art and as fall within the' scope of the claim.

In the drawings:v

A Fi 1 is a cross sectional view taken trans-A verse y through my improved refrigerator counter;,`1

Fig. 2 is a perspective 'view of the refrigerator counter;

Fig. 3 is a. plan rack; Fig.'4 is a.

rack; and v Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of.F1g. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings;- 50 the numeral 5 indicatesgenerally a supportview of the novel platter.

- side elevation of the platter ported above the enamelled plate 9 v vided suitable drainage' valves indicated gening base for the' counter havingat the top thereof the floor 6 serving as the floor of the refrigerating chamber. This floor as shown is made up of the insulating section 7 Apreferably made of cork board, v the supporting section 8 which may be of any suitable material and on top of this the enamelled steel plate 9 which as shown turns up at its opposite sides at i0 and 11 to forma good joint with the side walls 12 and 13 of the refrigerator. The rear wallt12 extends vertically upward a short distanceand is insulated by meansof corkboard similar to that used at 7 in the floor. I' Y If the -sheet 9 is of very great length it is 65A diicult to make and also has the -objectionl able property of' expanding and contracting under `changes of` temperature which may cause loosening of the joints between it and the walls at the ends of the counter.- To avoid this the sheets may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5 and a plurality of sheets used. The adjacent edges of sheets 9 and 9T are flanged up as at 35 and l36. The nickel silver inverted channel 37 fits down over the 75 flanges 35 and 36 and is secured to the floor beneath by means of screw 38 and supported bythe member 39. Suitable packing as indicated at 40 is also used to fill the space between the flanges 35and 36 and member 39. It is 'evident that this structure,l permits the i plates 9 and 9 to move toward and away from each other as they expand and contract without opening a space between them orypulling themselves away from the endwalls.

Resting on top ofthe wall 12 isv a combinedcover member and work table 14 which when'\in place serves as a table on which the meats or other articles 'may be wrapped or trimmed and which may be lifted upwardly to permit access to the refrigerant holdingA tanks 15. Brackets 16 project rearwardly` `fromthefwall 12 to aid inthe support on the table 14. 95

Within the brine tanks 15 which are lsupare proerally 4by the numeral 17 for :v draining the Y, liquid outof thetanks -Whenever desired.

l lbers 18 'so as to permit free circulation of air therearound., l

The front wall 13 as shown is inclined rearwardly and is made uplof a plurality of transparent. panes 19, 20, and 21 with air spaces therebetween so as to provide a good insulation. The frame member 22 is provided at the forward end of the cover member 14 and this frame member serves the -dual purpose of supportingV one edge ofthe member 14 andthe lower edges of the sliding doors 23 and 24 which are also provided with a plurality of insulating panes indicated generally at 25 of transparent material.

At the top of the frame member 22 which carries sliding doors and which is inclined forwardly, the cover member 26 is provided. This cover member 26 as shown overlaps the top of the frame 22 at 27 and in addition is bent down 4over the top of the front wall 13 as at 28 so that it serves not only as a cover, but as means for Abracing and holding the trame 22 and front wall 13 together. This\ top member is preferably made of white porcelain enameled steel so that it cannot be roken by persons'leaning thereon or dro ping heavy articles on the counter and at tlg) same time it will present a clean and pleasing appearance.. A layer of cork board 29 also serves to insulate the chamber at this point. p

In order to illuminate/the interior of they counter I provide vat the front thereof adjacent theftop a` plurality of porcelain enamel reflectors 30 and 31 which have suitable means therein for supporting and connecting a lightingA unit to a source of current and embedded in the upper frame section of the front wall there is provided a conduit 32 for conducting the current to the lighting unit within the reflector. This conduit is extended around the end 33 of the counter where a plug 34 is provided for connection by means of a suitable cord to the house wiring. By this provision, it will be seen that while the reiiectorsl 3 0 and 31 direct the light into the refrigerating chamber, the heat given o by lighting means is kept outside of the chamber so that itv does not tend to heat uthe interior thereof and thus reduce the e ciency.

Suitable wire trays 41 are provided within the refrigerating chamber for supporting the platters or pans containing the article to be displayed. These wire trays are illustrated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. They consist of the frame member 42 havin the portions 43 and 44 bent downwardly to orm supporting legs for one end of the tray. Front le s 45 are welded or otherwise secured to te lower face of 42 and a cross brace 46 serves to give added strength to the structure. The bars 47 extend lengthwise of frame 42. and are secured thereon as by welding or other fontwall. Certain other members 47 vas indicated at 50, 51 and 52 have the ends which are connected together turned up to form stops to prevent the plattersplaced on the rack from sliding forward against the front wall of the cooling chamber.

From the above description it is thought the construction and advantages of this device will be clear to those skilled in this art and havin g thus described my invention what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A platter rack for refrigerator counters comprising a frame member-having supporting legs thereon for supporting said rack with one end higher than the other, spaced bars extending longitudinally of andsecured on said frame and certain of said bars having portions thereof extending beyond said frame at said lower end to form abutments to maintain said tray spaced from the wall of the counter, certain other of said bars having the ends at the lower end of said tray turned up to prevent platters from-sliding beyond the end.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19iday of January, A. D. 1928.

. ARTHUR MALLING. 

